Government agencies have started receiving orders to block Telegram, and high-ranking officials’ Telegram channels continue to operate
15 October 2024 17:24
ЕКСКЛЮЗИВ
A wave of restrictions on the use of the Telegram messenger in government agencies has begun in Ukraine. Officials, military personnel and critical infrastructure workers are strictly prohibited from using Telegram for official communication on their work and personal devices. However, this restriction has faced a certain conflict: the official Telegram channels of a number of high-ranking officials, including Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, continue to work, according to
According to sources
Orders to block Telegram are coming to everyone in the same way. This applies to both work and personal gadgets, if they are used for work.
Thus, officials are ordered to:
- 1) not to pass on information used in their work, as well as not to
to communicate for official purposes using Telegram. - 2) not to install or use the messenger on official, automated/mobile workstations and personal computers.
Also, IT support specialists and IT departments must uninstall the Telegram application on official automated (mobile) workstations within 5 business days.
As of 15 October at 09:00, a number of government agencies’ Telegram channels are still working.
In particular, the channels of the Office of the President of Ukraine, the Cabinet of Ministers, the Office of the Prosecutor General and the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.
At the same time, the channels of the President of Ukraine, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada Ruslan Stefanchuk and a number of heads of Ukrainian regions remained open.
At the end of September, the Security Service of Ukraine and the General Staff said that Russians were actively using Telegram for cyberattacks, spreading malware, establishing the geolocation of users, and adjusting missile strikes.
In order to minimise these threats, it was decided to ban “the installation and use of Telegram on the official devices of government officials, military personnel, employees of the security and defence sector, as well as enterprises operating critical infrastructure”.
The NSDC noted that the restriction on the use of Telegram does not apply to those for whom the use of this messenger is part of their official duties.
that if the relevant order to close Telegram channels is received, it will be complied with.It is worth noting that since the outbreak of the full-scale war, the popularity of Telegram among Ukrainians has increased dramatically. Currently, most official information, including information about shelling, comes from Telegram.
Even the air alert map is also built on the Telegram channel.
